Means of fire and burglar protection



Dec 8 19275- 1565234 J. cLARlDGE f v MANS 0F .FIRE AND BURGLAR PROTECTION Filed Feb. 19, 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 and State of Illinois,

Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

JOSHUA CLARIDGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PRO-TEX LABORATORIES;

INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F ILLINOIS.

MEANS OF FIRE AND BURGLAR PROTECTION.

Application filed February 19, 1923. Serial No. 619,782.

To all whom it may concern.'

l Be it known that I, JOSHUA CLARIDGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Means of Fire and Burglar Protection; and I do hereby declare that the` following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to means of fire and burglar protection for use in connection with bank vaults, stores, Warehouses and other places.

It has been suggested to prevent theft from vaults or the like by employing poison gas which is liberated whenever the safe door was tampered with.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide improved means for liberating poison gas within a vault or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide means set in operation by heat for releasing the poison gas.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide means for preventing the burning of the contents ofthe vault as the result of the heat-operated release means. L

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

rIhe invention (in preferred forms) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one corner of a vault fitted with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of the invention.l

Figure l is a top plan view of the Huid container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure4. a

Figure 6 is an elevation of the inside of a vault door fitted with a further form of the present improvements.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the fluid on the line 22 of container shown in Figure 6.

- bustible material.

. to be released,

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the same with the casing in section.

As shown on the drawings:

, In the form of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, a series of radiating fuse strips 10 of combustible material are laid along the walls 11. floor l2 and ceiling 13 of the vault or the like to be protected.

These strips are connected to a bomb 141 adapted to contain a suitable gas or volatile liquid for repelling either fire or burglars or both. The construction of the bomb is shown more particularly in Figures A and 5, from which it will be seen that the bomb issupported by a loop of combustible material so that when the latter burns the bomb drops on the floor and breaks. The body of the bomb is preferably glass so as to fracture readily when released and dropped on the floor and is closed by a metal cap 16 crimped thereon.

The fuse strips should beso distributed that no space on walls, ceiling or floor is left between them which is large enough to enable a hole to be made at that place of sufficient size to enable a man to crawl through.

' As the usual method of breaking into vaults is with an oxyacetylenetorch, the cutting of a hole in any of the six sides of a vault will ignite one or more of the strips 10 of com- Fire will run along such s tripsuntil the bomb is reached and released.

Instead of strips, combustible paint may be employed as indicated in Figure 3. In l this case the walls 17 are given a coat 18 of combustible paint which is in turn preferably covered with a layer 19 of fireproof paint to minimize the danger of accidental ignition of the combustible paint. rllhe bomb 29 is connected to the paint 18 by, fuse strips 30.

For protecting the vault door the arrangement shown in Figure 6 may be employed. In this construction the door 20 has arranged thereon a central strip 21 and con-` necting side strips 22 of combustible material. The bomb 23, as shown. istarranged on the door and is connected to the central strip 21 by a strip 24. To enable the bomb if a pari'y of the vault. other than the door is broken through. the remaining parts of the vault are covered with strips or paint of combustible material and such strips or paint are connected to the strip 21 by a flexible fuse member 25. The member tion means.

The bomb 23 (Figures 7 and 8) comprises -a rectangularv casing within which are arranged four containers 27 of readily frangible material such as glass. These containers are filled with the Volatile liquid or liquids employed for repelling fire or burglars or both. Centrally arranged between these containers is a cartridge 28 of explosive material adapted to be set 0H by the fuse 24 connected thereto. The explosion of this cartridge breaks the containers 27 and scatters the contents in the vault.

Various substances or compositions may be employed for the combustible strips, paint or the like by which the fluids are to be released. They may be formed of strips of celluloid. On the other hand, if it is desired to apply the material as a paint, a solution of'celluloid in amylacetate may be employed.. t

When celluloid burns large volumes of Agas are liberated, chiefly carbon dioxide,

nitrogen and steam, which will force any freproof covering away and allow sparks and burning particles to fall upon the contents of the vault.

While in some cases it may be advantageous to -create large quantities of akgas such as carbon dioxide with a` view to smothering any fire in the contents of the vault, I prefer where practical to make use of mixtures adapted to burn without substantial generation of gas.

Such a mixture may be made by the use of aluminum powder mixed w1th some oxygen containing material like barium chlorate. The reaction in such a mixture would be as follows:

Alumina isone of the most infusible substances known and barium chloride does not melt until 960 C. and has a considerably higher boiling point. To aid in the application of the mixture it may be worked up into a paste with a small amount of sodium silicate or water glass, 'just sufiicient to make the particles adhere.

Although such a mixture will be ignited* if an oxyacetylene torch is used to cut through the walls of the vault, it would not be ignited if one of thelside walls was formed of brick or concrete and a hole was cut by a chisel or drill.

To enable 'the poison gas device to act under these conditions, a suitable fulminating composition ma be employed either incorporated in the in ammable mixture or placed at suitable points therealongt to: enable the inflammable mixture to be set olf.

ing a boiling point of only 76 C., is readily volatilized. Further, it is a heavier gas than air so that by sprayin the liquid into the air adjacent the top o the vault the vapor produced swill settle downwards onto the burning matter.

Other substances may be employed such as carbonio acid under pressure or materials which, when mixed, generate carbonio acid such as sodium carbonate and sulphuric acid. I prefer, however, to employ a substance such as carbon tetrachloride which is noncorrosive, may be held in liquid form without employing highpressure and which does not have to be mixed with another reagent to bring out its valuable properties as a fire extinguishing medium.

The poison gas used is preferably not of a highly poisonous nature such as a hydrocyanic acid, but rather one tending to produce discomfort and inability to seew the contents of the vault.

For this purpose ak volatile liquid having `vapors ada ted to act upon the respiratory organs, suc as anhydrous stannic chloride having a boiling point of 114 C. may be used. Similarly a lachrymatory product such as chloropicrin may be employed.

Further a substance adapted to produce dense fumes in air may be used to prevent the ob'ects within the vaultbeing seen.

Pre erably a plurality of.` such volatile liquids or gases are employed each having a different eeot.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a bank vault of a container for protecting releasing such fluid operale by heat and a train of. combustible material leading to such means, such material consisting principally of substances adapted to burn without substantial generation of gas.

2. The combination with a bank Vault of a container for protecting fluids, one adapted more particularly to repel fire and another more particular y to repel burglars and means for releasing such fluids operable by heat and combustible material extending over th'e sides of the vault and so distributed thereon that no space free ofcsuch material is left which is large enough to allow a hole to be made at that place of sufficient size to enable a man to crawl through.

8. A protection device comprising a container for protecting fluid, means for releasing such fluid operable by beat, and a train fluid, means for i .of combustible material leading to such 4. A protection device comprising a container for rotecting fluid, means for releasing such uid operable by heat, a train of combustible material leading to such means,v

and a covering of freproof material over such train.

5. A protection device comprising a contamer for protecting fluid, means for releasing such fluid operable by heat, and a train of combustible material leading to suchy means, said combustible material including powdered aluminum, an oxygen containing substance and a binder.

6. A protection device comprising a container for fire extinguishin fluid, means yfor releasing such fluid operab e by heat and a train of combustible material leading' to f such means, said combustible material consisting principally of substances adapted to burn without substantial generation of gas.

Inl testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOSHUA CLARIDGE. 

